


Someone I Once Knew

by thunderingskies



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Getting Back Together, M/M, Online Friendship, Post-Break Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-09-26 21:17:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9922472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thunderingskies/pseuds/thunderingskies
Summary: It's been six years since Kagami and Aomine ended things - six years of growth and of changes. They're not the same people that they once were, but those feelings still linger, despite Aomine's best attempts at ignoring them.He doesn't expect a friend he makes over the Internet to be someone that he once knew so well, but, there has to be a reason that they get along so well.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [animalwild084](https://archiveofourown.org/users/animalwild084/gifts).



> Ahaha thank you!!! You have helped me with so many prompts, ideas, and motivation! :D

Talking has never been Aomine’s strong suit. 

Words just… aren’t easy.

Aomine is brash and abrasive; he says whatever is on his mind, and really doesn’t give a shit about the consequences. You don’t like being told the truth right to your face? Tough. He’s not the kind to sugarcoat things, because he honestly just doesn’t see the point in it.

If he’s being honest, his nature has always been a cause of strain in his relationships. Some of his friends have gone, not willing to put up with it; the few who have stuck around have helped dull the edges around his personality, but he’s never going to be a nice guy. It’s just not who he is.

But since his poor attitude has lost him the only relationship he ever really wanted to try for - well, he has realized that he can’t keep living his life this way.

Still, though, when confronted with someone, the words that he really wants to say, the ones buried deep, they really struggle to come out. When he’s forced into social interactions, he just reverts back to old habits.

It’s a  _ lot _ easier talking to someone…  _ not _ face-to-face.

He’s only been talking to Tiger for about a month now, but it feels like he’s grown closer to him - to this friend online that he’s never actually met - than anyone else in a very long time. It was a good decision to move to the American servers one afternoon when he’d had just about enough of shit on his own. 

Now, if you ask Aomine, he’s still not exactly sure how it happened. It started in a game of Overwatch, online - grouping up after a good competitive game, and playing together for a couple of hours. They added each other as friends, which lead to chatting in-game - which then turned into exchanging contact information and messaging each other. 

What began as a simple message of “Game tonight?” has evolved to so, so much more.

They talk about everything and anything. It’s like nothing is off-limits - whatever they’re thinking about, whatever comes to mind. Things they’re watching on tv. Stress at work. Friends, family. They can talk without worrying about anything, because Aomine knows that Tiger’s not going to judge him. Why would he? They don’t know each other in real life. Their opinions really don’t matter, at the end of the day.

When it really comes down to it, if Tiger and he ever really had a disagreement, they could just stop talking to each other, and that would be it. No awkward hellos in the elevator, no having to see one another at parties - none of it.

Maybe that’s the beauty of it.

Not that Aomine would want to do that, though. He’s actually managed to… open up. He’s told Tiger about a lot of things that he’s hardly talked about with his friends. His struggle with anxiety; his fears of not being able to hold down a proper relationship. Hell, he’s even told him about his ex! 

He never imagined being able to open up about Kagami. The two dated for only six months, and it was such an emotional roller coaster for Aomine. The two were just awful at communicating with each other, selfish and unforgiving. They probably shouldn’t have even tried - the timing was awful, and they both just had too much happening in their lives - but they wanted to. Aomine wanted to, because he loved him, and when things were good, they did make each other happy.

If only Aomine could have been honest with him. If only he hadn’t pushed him away when he was injured and pulled out of the world of professional basketball. If only he’d trusted, maybe things would have ended differently -

Aomine’s run over every situation in his head, despite the fact that he knows it’s not going to ever really be fixed. He can’t go back in time, and they’ve been over for more than six years now. He’s pretty sure Kagami isn’t even in town anymore, anyway.

It’s been almost freeing to have an outside perspective, to have someone else tell him that he’s not a monster for breaking up with him. That it takes two.

Between the two of them, conversation just comes simply, easily.

He finds himself reaching for his phone a lot, and he doesn’t particularly want to stop.

They have a lot in common. They both play video games, sure, but they also both like basketball - even though they have different favourite NBA teams - they watch the same shows on television, and they have similar personalities. Hell, they even both work as firefighters, albeit on different sides of the world. 

After a long day at work, Aomine heads home and goes straight for the couch. He flops down, falling into the fabric easily; it’s comforting, and he flips over on his back to get more comfortable. He contemplates turning on the television, but there’s no game on that he needs to see, and he doesn’t feel like listening to cooking show repeats as background noise. 

He hesitates, before pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. It lights up in his hands, indicating a new discord message, so he opens it up right away.

**[10tigerprincess]:** i swear to god, if i have to hear my boss mispronounce my name one more time, i’m gonna lose it 

**[10tigerprinces]:** and the court by my place is still under constructions so i cant even do that ffs

Aomine laughs, shaking his head. He doesn’t even need to think, his reply coming out easily.

**[jamparadise]:** still? It’s been what - two weeks already?

**[10tigerprincess]:** yeah i’m starting to get real fuckin tilted

**[10tigerprincess]:** won’t ever be able to practice at this rate

**[jamparadise]:** dw you wont ever be able to beat me anyways

**[10tigerprincess]:** i look forward to proving you wrong

**[10tigerprincess]:** but you still gotta send me a clip of that “special shot” of yours you say you can do, ok? i’ll believe it’s kickass when i see it 

**[jamparadise]:** sure, remind me after i eat

**[10tigerprincess]:** takeout again?

**[jamparadise]** : fuck you 

**[jamparadise]:** i’m too tired to cook

**[10tigerprincess]:** canned soup isnt cooking either but ok 

**[10tigerprincess]:** do you even eat vegetables?

**[jamparadise]:** this burger definitely has lettuce on it

**[10tigerprincess]:** this is why i worry about you 

**[jamparadise]:** haha, hilarious

**[10tigerprincess]:** i’m serious

Aomine rolls his eyes, and takes a big bite of his burger. He slides back a little further on the couch, and exhales; it’s been a while since he’s had one. He doesn’t eat them too often, but a good cheeseburger is just what he needs, every once in a while.

**[jamparadise]:** nah, well, it’s a place my ex used to like. i don’t go there much now that we aren’t together anymore.

**[10tigerprincess]:** why not? Is here there a lot?

**[jamparadise]:** i haven’t seen him there but, it’s just… i guess i’m scared i’ll run into him

**[10tigerprincess]:** hasn’t it been, like, a few years?

**[jamparadise]:** yea but still, idk

**[10tigerprincess]:** are you still pining?

**[jamparadise]:** fuck no!

**[10tigerprincess]:** aw, it’s cute 

**[jamparadise]:** oh stfu. are we gonna play tonight or what?

**[10tigerprincess]:** yeah sure, i probably won’t be home until late tho, so long as that’s okay

**[jamparadise]:** no problem. just text me a couple of times if i dont respond right away.

**[10tigerprincess]:** gonna nap?

**[jamparadise]:** i think so. worked the morning shift so i’m exhausted

**[10tigerprincess]:** ok, i’ll text you, have a good rest

**[jamparadise]:** thanks princess

**[10tigerprincess]:** i will cut you 

**[jamparadise]:** don’t work too hard

**[jamparadise]:** royalty really shouldn’t

**[10tigerprincess]:** ffs jam

Aomine snorts, and finishes up the rest of his cheeseburger. It’s good - he needs to remember to go there more often. If he runs into Kagami - fine. They’re not kids anymore, so he probably isn’t holding a grudge… right?

He finishes his food, and contemplates moving to bed - but that really seems like too much work - so he stretches out on his couch, legs hanging off the end because it’s really too small of a space for him. He turns on his phone, to pick some music to listen to while he sleeps, but remembers that clip he said he’d send to Tiger. 

It’s been a while since he’s seriously practiced some basketball moves, but there’s one he just can’t seem to get right. He doesn’t have anyone to practice with seriously around home, either - anyone who will, is still far below his level, even though he stopped training long ago - so it’s just him and the court. The last time he was there he had Satsuki record a clip of him trying it out - maybe Tiger will be able to give him some pointers on what he could be doing better. So he sends the clip over, and opens up his music for some good rainy mood music. It always puts him to sleep.

He drops his phone down on the coffee table, and closes his eyes. Sleep tugs at his senses almost immediately - he’s been overworking himself lately and he knows it, but he has to. He can almost taste his next promotion. He’s been at the edge of it, of moving up to supervisor, which he feels like it’s time for. He just has to keep at it.

It feels like no time at all has passed when the sound of his ringtone fills his ears - it’s a loud song from an artist he recently discovered, with a heavy beat that always wakes him up. Groggily, he blinks a couple of times, before stretching his long limbs up and grabbing his cell phone. He turns it on, stumbling through his passcode, before it opened up to reveal the messages.

_ 17 unread messages. _

What the fuck?

He opens them up, and finds that half of them are from Satsuki, who has a habit of sending texts with just a single word on each line, so it’s really just one message. But the rest are from Tiger.

**[10tigerprincess]:** are you serious?

**[10tigerprincess]:** i just got that video

**[10tigerprincess]:** thats you?

**[10tigerprincess]:** is this a joke?

What is he getting on about? Aomine ignores the rest of the messages and instead types a new reply.

**[jamparadise]:** uh yeah, it is. wtf? whats wrong with you?

**[10tigerprincess]:** seriously???

**[10tigerprincess]:** youre fucking with me, right?

**[jamparadise]:** no??? wtf dude??

**[10tigerprincess]:** oh.

**[jamparadise]:** whats your problem??

**[10tigerprincess]:** no. no problem. 

**[jamparadise]:** ???

**[10tigerprincess]:** nevermind. It was just impressive

**[jamparadise]:** well i told you so 

**[10tigerprincess]:** dont let it go to your head

**[10tigerprincess]:** but why didnt you to pro?? seems like you could have

**[jamparadise]:** no, can’t. got injured right after hs when they were scouting...can still play but not at a pro level anymore

**[10tigerprincess]:** oh… i’m sorry

**[jamparadise]:** dont be, ive made my peace with it

**[jamparadise]:** you done being weird now? you still want to play?

**[10tigerprincess]:** sure, give me 10. just finishing my food. wanted to make sure you were awake.

**[jamparadise]:** alright, cool. i’ll warm up.

Aomine stares down at his phone, still confused, but shakes it off. Maybe Tiger thought he wasn’t being serious about being good at basketball. 

Well, now he knows the truth about that, at least.

He heads over to the computer, logging on, and promptly forgets all about the weirdness as they get lost in an evening of gaming.

* * *

 

Work gets busier, which means Aomine has less and less time to spend online. Some days he manages to answer Tiger’s messages, other days not - his friend doesn't seem to be bothered by it, but always makes sure to check in a few times a day, just to make sure everything is okay. 

When he finally gets a three-day weekend - which is practically unheard of, but it comes as a sort of bonus with his new promotion - Aomine spends the first day sleeping until long in the afternoon. It’s after three by the time he manages to shake himself awake, drowsy and dazed, but feeling good and rested - finally.

Not ready to stand up, he reaches for his phone and it lights up; he’s got a few messages, which he answers pretty quickly. A few buddies from work, Satsuki, and - Tiger.

He’s worried, again, and Aomine can understand why. He knows he’d be worried if the situations were reversed - so he wants to quell that.

**[jamparadise]:** hey, i’m awake. pretty sure i just slept for 12 hours straight

**[10tigerprincess]:** feeling human again?

**[jamparadise]:** yeah, i’ll be back to normal once i shower 

**[jamparadise]:** still smell like smoke... idk if i’ll ever get used to how it clings to you 

**[10tigerprincess]:** idk, probably not

**[jamparadise]:** well, whatever, it’s easy enough to get rid of

**[10tigerprincess]:** for some reason i feel like youre the kind of guy who uses a million bath products anyway

**[jamparadise]:** wtf no, only like 4

**[10tigerprincess]:** 4?

**[jamparadise]:** dont believe the “hair and body wash” bullshit, that shits not good for your hair or your skin

**[10tigerprincess]:** well i’m fucked 

**[jamparadise]:**  you won’t be, unless you get your shit together

**[10tigerprincess]:** thanks for the advice tips

**[jamparadise]:** first one’s free, after that it’s $50 a pop

**[10tigerprincess]:** you’re expensive 

**[jamparadise]:** you get what you pay for

**[jamparadise]:** i’m not some cheap ten dollar experience

**[10tigerprincess]:** i see that, high-class

**[10tigerprincess]:** well what’s your plan for today? wanna game?

**[jamparadise]:** fuck yeah, im ready for an 8 hour marathon

**[jamparadise]:** be on in 30

He’s ready to move his body by the time he gets out of bed; he makes his way to the bathroom, brushing his teeth and stepping into the shower. He uses his six products in the shower - Tiger doesn’t need to know the  _ whole _ truth - coming out of the shower and taking his time in putting on a pair of clean, warm clothes to lounge around in. It’s an old pair, from back in the training academy - they’re worn and hang a little low on his hips, but he likes how soft they are.

Food seems like a lot of work, but Aomine knows that if he doesn’t eat  _ something _ proper that he’s going to get an earful from Tiger about it. He raids his fridge, and finds some leftover rice. He may not be a chef, but even he can cut up some vegetables and fry them up with the rice. It’s a quick and easy meal; in no time he has a bowl full of food that he sets down on his desk, grabbing a cold bottle of beer to go with it.

He plops down into his chair - which yes, he spent way too much money on, but it’s comfy as hell when he spends hours in it - and crosses his legs, starting up his dishwater computer. It churns to life, slowly, as he pulls out his phone.

**[jamparadise]:** starting up my comp now. you good?

**[10tigerprincess]:** yeah

**[10tigerprincess]:** can we talk on mic today?

**[jamparadise]:** huh? sure i guess?

**[10tigerprincess]:** i mean it’ll be easier than typing during the game

**[jamparadise]:** yeah i guess that’s true.

Aomine shrugs; he really doesn’t care, he just can’t be bothered to set up his headset half of the time, and Tiger never has his on so they don’t use it. He gets up to get it, digging it out of his tech cupboard, before coming back and plugging it all in. By the time he’s ready, his computer is up and he starts up the game. He’s fixing his headphones around his ears when the main menu loads, and he’s immediately thrown an invite.

_ 10tigerprincess invited you to a group. Press Y to accept, N to decline. _

He clicks on Y and as soon as they’re in group chat, he hears a bit of static, and then what has to be Tiger’s voice fills his ears.

“Hey,” he says, and his voice resonates somewhere in Aomine. They’ve never voice chatted before, but for some reason he sounds so familiar… so wholesome. His voice is deep, and masculine; it shows his age, but in a good way - they’re not teenagers. It brings a smile to Aomine’s face.

“Hey yourself,” Aomine answers, picking up his bowl of fried rice.

“How’s it going?” Tiger asks, his voice easing as the microphone settles in picking up the sounds, but he sounds.. A little weird. Well, not that Aomine has much to compare to, but his voice sounds hesitant, almost. He must be on open mic, because Aomine can hear the sound of his keystrokes, and his mouse moving across the desk. It sounds like he doesn’t have a mousepad.

“Great,” he answers, a mouth full of food. He chews, and swallows it down with a heavy sigh. “I’m home now, so that’s good.”

Tiger makes a hum to show that he’s listening, but he doesn’t say anything. Aomine can hear him clicking on his keyboard.

With no answer, Aomine keeps on talking. He’s never been one to be too quiet. “Hey, what’s up with the voice chat? I thought you hated using mics.” 

“What?” Tiger clears his throat, “Oh, uh, I never had a good mic before. But I bought one this morning.”

“You bought one? Why?” Aomine finishes the last of his rice, dropping his bowl on the side of his desk with a loud clank. Tiger tuts in annoyance before answering.

“Well, I don’t know, it just seemed like a good idea.” He huffs, sounding almost annoyed, and the sound amuses Aomine. He wants to push it a little bit further-

But, then he hears another soft sigh, and he relents. He’ll torture him another day.

“Sure, it is.” Aomine nods, and their queue ends, throwing them into a quick play match to warm up. Aomine thinks something is off when Tiger picks Torbjorn to warm up with - he’s pretty strictly a tank main, and it’s a character he hardly chooses, but he doesn’t question it. Aomine makes his selection, and the game starts.

It’s a good thing they’re just warming up, because Tiger is all over the place - missing shots, standing still and getting killed, not contesting the payload - all things he would have ripped someone apart for doing, on a normal day. 

As the game ends with the inevitable  _ Defeat _ , Aomine breaks the silence. “Everything okay?”

“Hm?” Tiger hums, before inhaling sharply. “‘Course. Just warming up.”

“Right,” he nods, “you just don’t usually suck so damn hard.”

Tiger snorts, and the atmosphere relaxes; Aomine breathes a little bit easier in their second game when Kagami goes back to choosing characters he’s good with. Aomine, like the little shit he is, has to annoy the entire team with his Hanzo pick. It’s great. 

Chatting comes easy, during the game - not a lot, but there’s some in-between enemy callouts, and cursing whoever’s killed them last. 

They’re in the middle of a match, Aomine is concentrating heavily on getting some sniper kills, when a sound breaks his concentration and he misses, getting counter-sniped instead. He curses under his breath, shaking his head; but he still hears it, a quiet, soft hum coming from his headset. 

Tiger is  _ humming _ . Aomine has no idea what the song is - probably some American pop song, which Aomine can’t be bothered to follow, despite his English being pretty decent - but there’s something about it that just strikes a chord in him-

Oh, wait.

_ Kagami _ used to hum.

Fuck.

Aomine sighs, hesitating as his character spawns back into the game. He hasn’t thought about Kagami much at all lately - not now that he’s been so busy with work, and he’s had Tiger to hang out with on his down-time - and he isn’t ready to think about him now. 

“Jam? What are you doing?” The humming stops and Tiger speaks, jarring Aomine out of his thoughts. “Are you disconnecting? Lagging? You and your damn ping-”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Aomine reassures him, shaking his head. He moves just in time before he gets booted for inactivity, and tries to shake off that familiar feeling, to no avail. They fall back into the game - Tiger keeps humming, and Aomine’s nerves are on edge for a little while, until it actually starts to relax him. 

Tiger doesn’t seem to notice Aomine’s distress, thankfully, and they win the game; one victory turns into three, and Aomine is pleased that they’re on a winning streak. They’re just about to win their first match when somebody on the other team starts shit talking them in the chat; of course, both Tiger and Aomine are quick to respond, snorting and laughing at the salt and just how bad this unfortunate player is.

**jamparadise:** gg eeeez

**jamparadise:** I'm wrestling with some insecurity issues in my life but thank you all for playing with me.

**Handsoap:** fkin toxic

**10tigerprincess:** the only one who can beat me is me

Aomine freezes.

His heart is somewhere between his throat and his chest cavity, and his voice comes out strained. “What did you just say?”

“Huh?” Tiger sounds confused, and he probably is - Aomine doesn’t remember saying that, hasn’t really since he quit basketball, so there’s no way he could know - “We both played the same character, and I wrecked. He’s just gotta deal.” He snorts a laugh, and crunches down on whatever snack he’s eating, chips or popcorn in some ridiculous American quantity, probably.

“I’ll be right back,” Aomine spits out, and promptly mutes his mic. He ignores Tiger’s voice on the other end, pulling off his headphones and dropping them down on his desk with a loud clank.

He heads to the bathroom to splash water on his face, but it doesn’t do anything to help calm his nerves, or ease the churning in his stomach.

They lose the next game.

* * *

 

Every time they play from that point on, Tiger uses his mic.

Aomine comes to enjoy the sound of his voice, although he doesn’t stop getting little reminders of things that he liked.

Things that he misses.

After a long day and some games, they sit on Discord and just… talk.

It’s been a couple of hours now since they finished playing and turned off the game, but neither one has hung up. They talk about nothing, but also anything - Aomine doesn’t feel like he’s having to force the conversation, either. Topics come up naturally, or Tiger steers the conversation in a new direction.

“You sleeping okay now?” Tiger asks, voice light. He remembers everything Aomine tells him - he can tell he’s listening, because it’s been almost a month since he mentioned his difficulties sleeping.

“Eh,” Aomine shrugs, even though Tiger can’t see it. “Better than before, but still not great. Usually at least a few hours in the night.”  _ It’s better when I fall asleep after listening to you talk, _ he thinks, but there’s no way he’s saying that out loud.

“Any idea what’s causing it?”

“Not sure exactly.” Aomine shifts, finding a comfortable spot, crossing his legs on his chair. “It was never great. Got worse when I quit basketball; got better for a while, but the last couple of months have been rough at work, so it’s probably that.”

“Ah, yeah,” Tiger hums, “That’ll do it. We had a bad fire about six months ago? I still dream about it sometimes.” He pauses, and then holds back a bit of laughter. “You know what actually really helped?”

“What?”

“Nature documentaries. I don’t know what it is - but something about just watching something peaceful while falling asleep was just… nice?  It sounds even more stupid when I say it out loud,” he laughs, full-bodied and wholesome, the sound resonating deep within Aomine, somewhere, “I’m pretty sure I watched every documentary narrated by David Attenborough within the span of like, a month. I’d just put them on before bed. Sometimes it was just background noise, to fill the quiet of the apartment. Other times I’d watch and just let myself think about nothing else. I’ve got a whole shelf that’s just for nature videos.”

“Are you serious?” Aomine laughs, shaking his head. That was  _ not _ what he expected to hear - but at the same time, it completely fits, and it feels so real. “How many of these documentaries are about tigers?”

A chuckle, and, “Only about six.”

Aomine snorts, “Only?”

“I like tigers, okay?”

“Yeah, I got that,  _ princess. _ ” He snickers, enjoying the way that Tiger lets out a huge, annoyed sigh. “Still can’t believe that name. I was hopin’ it’d be some hot chick, but then as soon as you started typing, it was so clear that wasn’t you.”

“Were you disappointed?” Tiger asks, and it’s meant to come off casual, but he sounds almost concerned.

“Disappointed? Fuck no. This is even better. Now I know there’s a very masculine firefighter who  _ willingly _ lets people on the Internet call him  _ Princess _ .” Tiger lets out a full-bodied laugh, and the sound brings a smile to his face.

“Well, good. Because I… kind of have something I want to tell you.” He inhales, and if Aomine didn’t know any better, he’d think he was nervous.

“Yeah?” Aomine holds back a yawn against the back of his hand; he’s tired, he worked a full shift today and then came online to play with Tiger, as this was one of the few times that worked with their time zone differences.

“I’m coming to Japan, and I’d like to meet up.”

Aomine freezes. “...What?”

“Yeah,” Tiger clears his throat, voice picking up, “I have family there, and there’s a funeral I need to come back for - nobody that I really even knew, so it’s okay, but, since I’m going to be there, I was thinking, if you want to…”

Silence drops down heavily, but Aomine doesn’t have to even consider his reply. “Yeah. I want to.”

* * *

 

Things move in fast-forward after that.

Tiger tells him he’s coming in a week and a half - the funeral is just outside of Tokyo, so it isn’t far from where Aomine lives and works. Aomine has to trade half of his soul and McDonalds breakfast for two weeks just to get the days off on such short notice, but he knows it’ll be worth it.

His apartment isn’t too big of a disaster - he’s gotten not half-bad at cleaning, really - but he still spends his day off cleaning things up. He isn’t even sure if they’ll end up here, TIger hasn’t shared his plans yet, other than where they’ll meet up, in five days time.

He’s nervous, even though he doesn’t know  _ why _ .

Tiger knows that he can be a shithead sometimes. He’s talked him off the edge, he’s provided him comfort after a long, grueling week of work; he’s worried about him, he’s been his friend. They talk shit together daily. He knows what he’s getting into.

Right?

Besides, they’re just friends.

Right?

He feels sixteen again, nerves alight with anticipation as he pours over possibilities for things that they can do together. He knows that Tiger likes basketball - they could head down to the court by his house, maybe shoot some hoops. Food? That’s always good. He’s probably not staying long. He didn’t tell Aomine when he was heading home, but it can’t be more than a few days for something like this. 

He figures that they’ll do something low-key, maybe come back to watch a game or something. Of course, Aomine gets all the best sports channels.

He’s still not calm enough to get a good night’s sleep, though.

* * *

They exchange e-mails, and Aomine gets a message as soon as Tiger lands in Japan.

His skin tingles with anticipation. He’s always known that there is literally an entire ocean separating them, keeping their friendship - or whatever this is - from being in the flesh. 

But not anymore.

Aomine has to finish his shift, and does so with vigor; he feels renewed, energy coming from some unknown place, considering that he hasn’t been sleeping well. 

He finishes later than anticipated after they get a call out - almost by an  _ hour _ , and he’s annoyed, but he knows that Tiger isn’t going to be upset about it. He knows what it feels like. Aomine rushes back to his apartment, throwing his phone in its charger while he hops in the shower.

He cleans himself off quickly, effectively getting rid of all the grime from work, stepping out feeling refreshed and invigorated. He gets dressed, not having to think about his options because he’s already laid everything out; a pair of clean, dark jeans, and a gray shirt. He steps into his favourite red shoes, picking up his phone to check for messages from Tiger.

He’s got one.

**Tiger:** hey, i just got down to the court. you gonna be here soon?

**Me:** yeah, be right over.

Butterflies dance in his stomach, and he swallows down his nerves. He grabs his duffel bag - he’s willing to bet that Tiger is going to want to play, at some point, so he’ll need it - and heads out the door, questions swimming around in his brain the entire time.

He’s absorbed in his thoughts; he feels his phone buzzing in his pocket, but he can’t be bothered to check it. If it’s Tiger, he’ll see him soon - anyone else he just doesn’t care about right now. It buzzes twice, but he ignores it, turning the corner and walking straight into the basketball court. If he stops, or looks up, he knows he’s going to chicken out - he just has to go and hope for the best -

“Hey!” 

Aomine looks up; this voice is crisp without the barrier of the Internet between them. He isn’t sure what to expect, looking up, but-

This isn’t it.

Aomine sucks in a deep breath as his eyes meet with the last person he expected to see today.

“Kagami?”

Here?  _ Now?  _ It’s definitely Kagami - looking older, more rugged, than he did the last time Aomine saw him. He’s taller, more broad - but looks at Aomine with the same piercing gaze that always has had the power to break down every barrier he’s ever created.

Aomine looks around, and doesn’t see anyone else - okay, it’s fine. Tiger’s not here yet. 

“Aomine…” Kagami starts, his voice smooth as silk, a confident smile on his face, “It’s good to see you.”

Aomine, on the other hand, isn’t entirely sure he still has a pulse. His heart feels like deadweight in his chest, anchoring him to the spot, despite how much his instincts are telling him to  _ run. _ His  _ ex? _ Today?  _ Really? _ Who did he piss off so badly in a past life?

Kagami watches him, and Aomine does nothing but stare, which effectively wipes that confident smirk off of Kagami’s face. He then blushes, scratching the back of his head - he looks away, face shifting, more nervous… and shy?

He just does  _ not _ have time for this right now.

“Aomine, I-”

“I’m meeting someone,” Aomine blurts out, taking a step backwards. “I gotta go.” He turns on his heel, dragging his feet to a walk, quickening his pace to try and get as much space between himself and Kagami as possible. He can’t listen to whatever reply Kagami stutters out. He definitely has a pulse now - his heart is beating a mile a minute, rattling around inside his chest, and he might puke.

“Wait!” Kagami calls, and Aomine can hear his footsteps following him. “Aomine - wait!”

Aomine ignores him, instead choosing to quicken his pace. He turns, instinctively heading back towards his apartment, his safe place. 

Kagami is  _ not _ giving up though, and his footsteps get closer. Aomine was always faster, and can keep pace; they keep going, until Kagami’s shout stops him dead in his tracks. 

“It’s me! You’re meeting me!” Kagami all but yells, screeching to a halt and just managing to stop before he rams into Aomine’s back. 

Aomine turns around, expression unreadable. Kagami swallows hard. “What?”

“It...  It’s me. You’re meeting me.” Kagami looks down at the ground, inhaling deeply before looking up and trying to meet Aomine’s eye. “I’m Tiger.”

Realization dawns across Aomine’s face, sharp and fast and painful. The humming, the quotes, the late-night talks - Christ, they talked about  _ their relationship _ ! 

“This whole time? It’s been you?” Aomine’s voice is smaller than intended, and Kagami swallows hard.

“Yeah. I mean - I didn’t always know that it was you… but… it’s always been me.” Kagami takes a step closer, reaching out to touch Aomine -  but he flinches back hard, taking two steps to separate them.

The expression on his face shifts, no longer able to hide the hurt; he bites his lip, open and vulnerable, completely thrown by what Kagami has just told him. “Okay, well,” he clears his throat, swallowing down bile, “That was great. Real funny. That the punch line? You came all the way here for that?”

Aomine can’t bring himself to look up to see Kagami’s reaction, the surprise and hurt, but all he hears is the deafening silence that surrounds them, confirming everything he doesn’t want to be true.

“Great, well, then, if we’re done here,” Aomine starts, voice cracking. He laughs, hollow and resigned, fighting down anger with every fiber of his being. He turns to leave, again, this time desperately needing to get away, before he can’t hold it back any longer and he either cries, or punches him in his stupid fucking face. 

“Wait-” Kagami’s calling to him, but he isn’t listening. Fuck, how could he be so damn stupid? How did he miss this? Looking back, it was so damn obvious - he should have noticed, he should have  _ seen _ , but he didn’t. And now? Now he feels like the world’s biggest idiot, embarrassed and ashamed. He fell for it hook, line, and sinker, and he couldn’t regret it more. 

He can hear Kagami’s footsteps, but none of his words really register. He’s too angry to listen, his vision swimming red and hazy, his limbs barely remembering how to work properly. That is, until Kagami takes a deep breath and yells, as loud as he can, “ _ Stop _ you idiot, I’m still in love with you!”

And Aomine trips, crash landing right down onto the sidewalk; he hits the pavement with a loud scrape, cursing and gasping under his breath. Kagami is at his side in a second; he crouches down, and all of his words start flooding into Aomine.

“Shit, fuck, I’m sorry - god, that looks bad - are you okay?” Kagami reaches out and takes a hold of his bicep; Aomine follows his gaze, and only then notices the sizeable scrape on his forearm, and the blood dripping down on the sidewalk, red and angry.

_ Kagami _ is touching him.

Aomine yanks his arm back on instinct, hissing with pain. He’s still reeling from Kagami’s confession. “I’m  _ fine. _ ”

“Fuck, Dai-Aomine, just, let me help you, okay? You live close, right? Please - I have to talk with you.” Kagami’s eyes are wide, and honest; Aomine wants nothing more than to give him anything and everything that he wants. It would just be too easy.

Instead, he grits his teeth. He’s so damn conflicted. His heart aches; being so close to Kagami is dizzying. “Fine.”

Kagami relaxes, and nods his head; he helps Aomine up, wrapping a hand around his bicep to help lift him to his feet. His grip is firm, and he doesn’t let go as they start the walk back.

As it turns out, Aomine’s muscle memory remembers more than he’d thought it would. It’s easy to fall back into it; Kagami is strong and steady, as they walk, and if Aomine wasn’t being careful, he’d have let himself get tucked against his side, fit in close like the spot belongs to him. But it doesn’t anymore.

Aomine’s thoughts are swimming and Kagami is still flustered, so they don’t talk on the walk back. Aomine leads the way to his apartment, dropping down his duffel bag as soon as they step in.

“I’ll go clean this up,” he says, walking over to the bathroom. His knees hurt, too; he wonders if he’s got some scrapes, underneath his jeans. He absentmindedly steps into the bathroom, realizing too late that Kagami is following him.

“Let me,” he says, and guides Aomine up and on the counter. He fumbles under the sink for the first-aid kit, pulling out odds and ends that he needs. 

Kagami is focused as he works, just as Aomine remembered.

He keeps his gaze locked on his arm, fingers moving delicately, and with care. He cleans out the wound first, treating it with purpose, stopping every so often to check to make sure that he’s not pressing too hard, that the gauze isn’t too tight, that it doesn’t hurt too much.

Kagami is focused, and Aomine takes what he can get - he watches him work.

His gaze sweeps over Kagami’s face; just as he remembers it, only now sharper, the lines of his face drawn a little more heavily. His eyes are deep, and concerned, and Aomine knows he could get lost in them.

He lets out a breath, eyes following the slope of his neck, down to his broad, strong shoulders. He’s even more built than back in high school; Aomine  _ knows _ that it would feel amazing if he were to let himself be held, like they used to. 

Fuck.

So many memories start to flood back, and fill his system; he inhales, and he can smell Kagami, that familiar, musky scent that’s so ingrained in his memory. He thought he’d forgotten it - but no, he still reminds him of their one-on-ones on the court, the adrenaline rush of a good game. He shifts, and he can feel Kagami’s warm hands against his skin.

But they’re not the same people that they once were. There was no closure when they ended things - it was abrupt, and filled with regret. Aomine longs to fix it. 

Kagami finishes his work, securing the gauze around his arm. He slowly puts away the first aid kit, gaze finding Aomine’s. “Daiki?”

Christ, how did he not realize this earlier?

Aomine has to look away - he’s going to melt under that gaze, and he knows it. “Yeah?”

Kagami’s voice is smaller than he’s ever heard, and scared. “Can I stay?”

Aomine’s stomach lurches; he can feel the heat of Kagami’s gaze on his skin, but there’s only one answer to that question, really. “Yeah. Stay.”

Kagami exhales loudly, and looks relieved. He takes a step back - their closeness finally catching up to him - and shifts on his feet, awkwardly, not sure where to go, or what to do with his  _ hands. _

He’s saved by Aomine, who slides off the counter, feet finding the cold tile floor. “Come on, let’s go sit.”

Kagami nods, and follows after him, a little like a lost puppy. Aomine finally kicks off his shoes in the hallway, Kagami following suit. They make their way to the couch, and Aomine sinks down on it comfortably; Kagami sits beside him, leaving ample space in between.

Aomine has absolutely no idea where to begin. He’s still processing - there are so many questions swimming around in his head. How long has Kagami known? Why didn’t he just say something?

Is he seriously still in love with him?

_ How? _

Sighing, Aomine looks down at his arm, where Kagami has bandaged his wound perfectly, the corners of the gauze pulled tight. It’s so damn obvious that he treated this seriously, and that he cares about making this better. Fuck. It’s such a  _ Kagami _ thing to do.

He wasn’t perfect during their relationship, either, but Aomine knows he doesn’t deserve this.

Aomine can’t start, but Kagami takes a deep breath and just starts talking. “Fuck, Daiki, I’m sorry. You just gotta know how sorry I am. For everything… for what happened in the past… and for not telling you as soon as I realized… I just… I tried, so many times, but I couldn’t find the words, you know?”

Well, miscommunication  _ was _ their specialty. Aomine knows he can’t do that again.

“Every time we talked, it just made me wanna see you more anyway…” He laughs, small and nervous, and Aomine feels his restraint snapping. “I’m sorry… I know you’re mad…”  _ I’m not… _ “I know I don’t deserve to be here after all of this…”  **_You_ ** _ don’t? What about  _ **_me_ ** _? _ “I just can’t help myself… I’d always regret it if I didn’t try, you know?” Aomine’s throat has ceased function at this point, but Kagami just keeps going. “I missed you something fierce, Daiki. Even now, I still think about you all the time… I’ve tried asking Kuroko or Momoi for details, but they both just say the same thing -  _ Just talk to him, Kagami. _ Christ, like it’s that easy. I knew you wouldn’t want to see me.”  _ But I did, and you  _ know _ that…  _ “But then, when you sent me that video? It cleared up so many things… I realized it was you, and that the  _ ex _ you mentioned - it was me! When I realized that, and I realized how you still felt… Fuck, Daiki, it was a fucking punch to the gut, you know that?” He groans heavily, and drops his head in his hands. Aomine still says nothing, just staring, his throat dry and tongue feeling heavy. 

“It-It just made me see everything that went wrong, you know? God, we were both so fucking dumb. If we had talked together half as easily as we do now, online? We’d still be together.”

It’s almost laughable, really. What a pair of idiots they are.

Aomine swallows, and finds his voice, words falling out without his consent. “You really think so?” His gut twists under the look Kagami gives him - he looks so  _ scared _ , like he’s ready and waiting for backlash, expecting to be hit. But Aomine says nothing else.

Kagami hesitates before he answers, looking down at the floor. “Well.... yeah. I think so.”

His heart swells, aching painfully the more that Kagami talks. His  _ voice _ \- it’s soothing, Aomine can feel it in his bones, smoothing out the hard, cracked lines in his being. It reminds him that this is Kagami, yes - but he’s also the friend he’s spent late nights with, laughing and talking, sharing anything and everything with. He’s the friend who would check up on him when he didn’t get online for a few days, even through the mess of different time zones. 

But more than that - this is  _ Kagami _ . He’s still Kagami, the person who’s always had the power to lift him up, and make him want to be a better person; a better man.

Part of him wants to be stubborn. To let himself feel all the anger and hurt that’s churning around inside of him, to refuse Kagami, and never have to feel this way again. It’d be so easy to just give in; it’s what he wants, and it’s what he did six years ago.

He doesn’t want to be that person anymore.

Kagami reaches out, tentatively and slow, and Aomine lets him. He lets his hand rest palm-up, on his knee, and Kagami lays his hand down on top of his, gently and with purpose. His fingers jump at the touch; it’s been so long now, that he’d almost forgot how nice it feels. Aomine threads their fingers together, and Kagami squeezes his hand, tight.

It’s warm, safe,  _ right _ .

“What now?” Aomine asks, voice strained; Kagami squeezes his hand, and it’s comforting. It helps to ease the weight on his chest. There’s so much that he wants to say, but can’t.

_ I’m sorry.  _

_ Please take me back. _

He waits for Kagami to take the lead, who just turns his gaze over to him, looking at him pointedly. His expression is so open, and Aomine can see all the rush of emotion on his face, almost too much to take in. 

“I wanna try again.”  _ No, you don’t. _

Aomine’s limbs feel heavy. “Are you sure?”

Kagami laughs - he really laughs, and shifts closer on the couch. His free hand finds Aomine’s chin, and tilts his face up, until their eyes meet. He looks so, so relieved.

“ _ Yes, _ ” he nods, voice light and honest. Aomine’s chest tightens, but he has to know-

“So you’re going to give me a second chance?”

“Are you?” He asks, red eyes glazed over, staring heavily down, “I forgave you the moment I saw you, Daiki. The only one you need to forgive is yourself.”

Kagami’s words are exactly what he needed to hear - he breathes, fully,  _ finally _ , and lets a relieved smile cross his face. Kagami is smiling, so he grabs that stupid fucking necklace - and makes a mental note that this time, he’s going to  _ tell _ Kagami how much it bothers him that he wears that idiot’s ring, but not one for him - and yanks him in close, until they’re separated by mere centimeters.

“I hope you know that you’re never getting away from me again,” he whispers, voice low and heavy; he can see the tremble in Kagami’s spine.

“I’m counting on it.” He can feel Kagami’s warm breaths,  and does the only thing left to do - he closes the distance between them, and kisses him. The initial press of lips is so soft, and slow, as they get reacquainted with each other. Aomine fingers twirl in Kagami’s hair, holding him in close, and Kagami’s hands slide up the back of Aomine’s shirt, pressing firmly into the sensitive skin of his lower back. A whine escapes his lips; all the pent-up frustration and feelings they’d both been trying to forget bubble right up to the surface, and Aomine feels it all, fast and sharp and hard.

He’d forgotten how sweet Kagami tastes, but he’s never going to make that mistake again.

* * *

It’s easy, really, to fall back into it. Aomine’s missed so much - the soft touches, the heated kisses, the banter, everything. 

_ Even _ the way that Kagami never lets him live down anything. Ever.

They’re pressed together, laying on Aomine’s couch; his back against Kagami’s chest, listening to the steady sound of his heartbeat. The couch is way too small for the both of them, so Aomine’s legs hang off the side; but it’s nice, this way. Kagami's hands are resting on his chest, their fingers laced together tightly. Seriously, is this real life?

“I  _ can’t believe _ you didn’t pick up on my hints.” Kagami snorts. “ _ The only one who can beat me is me? _ I mean, come on!”

Aomine fake-laughs, “Oh, you’re just a fucking riot, aren’t you,  _ Princess _ ?” He snickers, and Kagami responds by faking pushing him off the couch - only to pull him down and back into his lap, arms wrapped around him tightly. “I’m never going to live this down, am I?” Aomine sighs, resigned, but he can’t help but feel happy.

This feels right.

“Never,” Kagami snickers, and Aomine can feel him smile into his hair. “And also, I’m still gonna wipe the floor with your ass on the court this afternoon.”

“You’re on.”


End file.
